As the summer sky begins to change to a warm hue, Lynette LaPointe, of Livonia, springs out of her heavy-duty Ford truck — parked first in line — with cellphone in hand, twisting and turning as she snaps photos of the signs and sights of the Ford-Wyoming Drive-In.
“It’s got all the nostalgia,” said LaPointe, whose customized license plate reads “DRIVEIN.” “I want to keep this place going, so we try to come as often as we can. It’s just such a beautiful place.”
Since 2009, she and her family have visited every drive-in in the state of Michigan, both operational and closed, but they frequent this theater, closer to their home. “I always joke if I win the Powerball I’d replace the old neon lights,” said LaPointe. The lights were part of the renovated original tower for Screen 1, which once contained apartments inside for staff members.
“Ever since I was a kid, I remember watching every big movie growing up at that theater,” said general manager Aaron Clark, who worked as a cashier during the summer selling tickets at age 7 for his father, Bill Clark, who co-owned the independently operated business.